Thomas Dinger – Für Mich

What an arresting cover, that alabaster face seemingly levitating, framed in a burn of auburn hair. I’m convinced that’s a gender messing Thomas Dinger caked in ghostly Clouzot cosmetics. The macabre blue of the lips, and the wing-like Bowie-isms of those scry-worthy eyes throwing everything forward whilst the background simultaneously envelops, giving over an eerie undulating quality to the stillness. Like a Buñuel freeze-frame, eternally tittering on movement.

Those meadowing melodies of “Ballgefluster” seemingly fitting (idyllically) with the flow of those fiery locks. The keyed accents milling like breeze caught corn heads warming up the glassier synth tones; the soft wilt of drums nodding a slow canter. Things are dreamy, quintessentially unhurried; then racing towards some climax that dips exhaustion all to quickly on the festive clank of sleigh bells.

The broken fairground organ of “Leierkasten” flips a short-lived tangent in punched paper and clipping mechanics, wipes the palette clean for the tempo rich “Für Dich”. A growly dog introduction to a motorized vroom into pure azure. Neu! corridors tunnelling something more vivid as twists of harmonic turquoise skate between those elastic beats and that champagne bubbling foundation. Great stuff that spirals drunkenly out.

The next track, enigmatically entitled “E-Go5” (is that a reference to some arcane synth I wonder?) is born out of a beer bottle glug, followed on by a chorus of canine yelps. I like to think the sand-buried dog on the back cover contributed to this, its distant howls a terrific counterpoint to the swirling scythes surrounding it. Those starlit tapers of modulated jewellery seemingly romancing a sedated motorik heart, chirping additions expanding horizons, scenically shifting like a sprinkler prism arrowing the tail of diving swallows. Fourteen blissful minutes, a mood, the following “Alles Walzer” and “Für Euch” advance upon, with the whole experience ending abruptly in a mischievous raspberry.

There’s plenty here to treasure, an excellent 1982 solo oddity from Klaus Dinger‘s brother (alongside whom Thomas was an occasional member of both Neu! and La Düsseldorf) that suits this early September sun perfectly. Such a pity he never got the chance to give us more.

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